A Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on Thursday granted the former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, bail.

The court also granted his daughter, Fatimah Hadi Sirika and in-law, Jalal Hamma bail.

Sirika, his daughter, son-in-law and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, were charged to court over alleged N2.7bn fraud in connection with the botched Nigerian Air project by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Before the trial judge, Justice Sylvanus Orji granted the bail request of the defendants, they pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them after it was read out to them.

Sirika was docked on a 6-count amended criminal charge before Justice Oriji.

The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, had informed the court of an amended charge by the EFCC dated May 7, and filed on May 8, which was not opposed by the counsel to the defendants.

The defendant’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), who is Sirika’s counsel, informed the court of his client’s bail application dated May 6.

The other defendants similarly, moved their bail applications and prayed the court to be liberal in the bail conditions.

Jacobs, on his part, told the court that all the defendants were on administrative bail and asked the court to grant bail on the condition that would make them appear for their trials.

After listening to all the parties, Justice Orji granted the bail application to each of the defendants in the sum of 100m with two sureties each.

He added that one of the sureties must own a landed property with valid land titles in like sum within the Federal Capital Territory.

The judge also held that the sureties must depose to an affidavit of means while he barred the defendants from travelling outside the shores of the country without its permission.

Justice Orji added that failure to fulfil the bail conditions would earn the defendants a stay in a correctional facility.

He said, “I admit the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendant to bail in the sum of 100 million each with 2 sureties of like sum.

“One of the sureties must have a landed property within the Federal Capital Territory.

“The defendants must not travel outside the country.

“Any of them who is unable to fulfil the bail conditions will be remanded in the correctional centre.”

The trial was subsequently fixed for 10, 11 and 20 June.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will arraign Hadi Sirika, a former aviation minister, before the federal capital territory (FCT) high court on Thursday.

Sirika would be arraigned on six-count amended charges related to an alleged N2.7 billion contract fraud.

NAN reports that the former minister will be arraigned alongside Fatima, his daughter; Jalal Hamma; and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd.

The EFCC was said to have detained the former minister on April 23, as part of investigations into the financial malfeasance allegedly committed by him, including fraudulent contracts awarded by the ministry under his watch.

“The former minister (Sirika) was invited for questioning by investigators handling the alleged contract fraud under his watch in the ministry,” NAN quoted an EFCC source as saying.

“He honoured the invitation and has been detained as I am talking with you.”

The source also said the EFCC had been investigating the alleged contract fraud when Sirika was in office as the minister, noting that he also met with investigators at the time.

The arraignment was earlier slated to take place on Tuesday, but due to an EFCC prayer to amend the charge, a new date was given.

The Lagos State Government has begun the demolition of illegal shanties within the abandoned Ikoyi Towers, days after discovering hundreds of undocumented individuals residing in makeshift structures in the compound.

This development was disclosed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, through a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday.

According to Wahab, the enforcement operation commenced after the expiration of the 48-hour eviction notice served by the state government to the inhabitants of these unauthorized structures.

“After the expiration of a 48-hour vacation notice served, the joint team of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps @LAGESCOfficial (KAI) and the Special Taskforce on Environmental Offences commenced enforcement and removal of illegal shanties built inside the Ikoyi Towers compound housing illegal occupants posing a security threat to the environment and nuisance to the State, and whose daily activities could not be ascertained,” Wahab’s post read in part.

Wahab further noted that the government’s issuance of relocation notices and enforcement actions aims to reclaim land and public facilities that have been converted to personal use, ensure public safety, enforce urban planning regulations, and tackle the proliferation of illegal settlements and structures throughout the state.